The site reads...

"Now for the first time ever, you can bid and buy in a safe, secure and anonymous setting. Save the hassle, expense and time of traveling to a 'live' surf auction or combing through miles of junk at 'mass auction' sites in the hope of finding a needle in a hay stack. Bid from the comfort of your own home and invest the money you've saved into your vintage surf collection!"

Frankly, I find this a little sad. I'm not a collector, but wasn't the soul of a vintage surfboard auction partly about coming together to meet and greet the shapers (if still alive) of previous generations, and to talk story, and touch and see the masterpieces in person, letting our imaginations run wild as to how on freakin' earth the pioneers of surfing actually surfed those logs of yore??

Oh well, regardless of my soapbox rant, some deep pocket collectors sure didn't seem to mind....

A 1934 Tom Blake Hawaiian Surfboard 12’ 11” that was discovered in the basement of an old home still in its original wooden shipping crate wrapped in newspapers of the 1930’s sold at auction (USVSA) last week for $32,669. Hands down the finest pre-40’s, all original condition museum quality wood surfboard in existence. It was built in 1934 by the Robert Mitchell Co. The Mitchell company also built fine furniture and their craftsmanship definitely shows in this masterpiece.

Casting call for Oregon surfers

EXTRAS ONLY is excited to be casting the highly anticipated film TWILIGHT, a thriller-romance based on the #1 New York Times Bestselling series by Stephenie Meyer. TWILIGHT is a cultural phenomenon, with a massive, fanatic, devoted fan base that eagerly awaits this movie. Critically acclaimed Director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) brings to life this modern, visual and visceral Romeo and Juliet story of the ultimate forbidden love affair – between vampire and mortal. Two sequels have been written and the studio is looking at the movie as a potential franchise! The film stars Kristen Stewart (Panic Room, Into the Wild) opposite Rob Pattinson (Harry Potter).

The casting agency is looking for surfers to be in the film for scenes being shot in Indian Beach. The shoot will take place between April 22-25 (1 day). You will actually be in the water surfing for the scene so they are looking for people who are competent surfers. The pay is approx. $100 for the day. Sorry grom, you must be 18 years or older.

If you are interested in being considered, please e-mail the following info to sally@extrasonly.com ASAP:

Name
Contact info
RECENT photo (in body of e-mail)
Surfing experience

Good luck!

The first regional contest of the year, the Clean Water Classic, is just around the corner

The 7th annual Clean Water Classic surfing contest will be held May 16th to 18th at Westport, Washington. This event is a benefit for the Pacific Northwest chapters of the Surfrider Foundation, and has been awarded the Surfrider Foundation Chapter Event of the Year. The Classic is the oldest continuously running surf competition in the Pacific Northwest. In 2008, the Classic will debut a Stand Up Paddle demo heat and a keiki (youth) heat. Registration forms for the Classic are now available on line at CleanWaterClassic.com. Most of the heats fill up completely, and competitors should not rely on beach registrations due to the high popularity of this event.

Pete Stauffer is the Oregon Policy Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation. Pete explains the importance of the Classic to the Pacific Northwest chapters. “The CWC generates crucial funding for the volunteer chapters of Surfrider throughout the Pacific Northwest. These funds help support a variety of campaigns and programs that focus on water quality, beach access, ocean health, and shoreline preservation. We really appreciate all the support provided by local surf shops and shapers to help make the contest a success. The event would not be possible without the wonderful support of the community of Westport.”

Water quality advisories (a.k.a. the poo factor)

Sample results detected higher thannormal fecal bacteria levels at the following locations:

No advisories at this time.

The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) monitors the waters along Oregon's coastline for the presence of fecal bacteria, and reports elevated levels to the public. For information on advisories, testing sites, and the program in general, follow this link.

OSP Logo Hoodies Hoodies, t-shirts, nice embroidered beanies and stickers available in the OregonSurf store. Just can't get enough of the OSP. Click here to order.

Shark research along the Pacific coast

The Shark Research Committee is requesting the assistance of the Oregon surfing community in establishing a network of volunteers willing to report encounters, observed predatory events, and sightings of White Sharks.
The online Reporting Forms are available at: www.sharkresearchcommittee.com. Check the Shark News page for regional updates.